Shiocton International Leadership Academy (SILA)

How is it determined who is accepted into SILA from the applications received?

Here’s the answer we received from Barry Golden at the Department of Public Instruction:

There will be a window for accepting applications for all students grades 6 - 12 interested in attending SILA. If the deadline passes and SILA receives the same or less than the number of seats available then everyone who applied is in. If additional applications are received after the deadline and there is room the student will be accepted on a first come first served basis. If we are at capacity then any additional students applying will be waitlisted. If openings become available then the waitlisted students are accepted using a lottery.

If we go over our capacity before the deadline established, then we must do a lottery for all applicants.

Note: An automatic enrollment preference shall be extended to siblings of students currently in SILA and children of founding members of the SILA.

What is the process to enroll at SILA?

Application forms can be obtained from and completed online via the SILA Website – www.silacharter.com. Applications must be completed by a parent or guardian. Return paper applications to the Shiocton School District Office, Attention: Kelly Zeinert, SILA Principal.

Families interested in SILA who live outside of the Shiocton School District will also need to file the necessary paperwork for open enrollment during the open enrollment period. Procedures for doing this can be found on the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Website: https://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/Opal2012/

What will be the process to fill open SILA spots?

An automatic enrollment preference shall be extended to siblings of students currently in SILA and children of founding members of the SILA.

If the number of applications received do not exceed the number of spaces available:

All students who have submitted applications by the enrollment deadline will be accepted for admission. Students will be contacted in the order of applications received.

If the number of applications exceed the number of spaces available:

All applicants will be placed in a lottery pool. Totally random selection will ensure fairness and equal access without regard to ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender and income level. The SILA Governance Board will perform the lottery and it will be part of the school record. Those students not accepted by the lottery will be placed on a priority waiting list in the order drawn. Students will be contacted in the order established by the lottery.

If additional applications are received after the enrollment period for students living within the district (open enrollment has passed for out of district students), and there is room the student will be accepted on a first come first serve basis prior to the school year beginning. If SILA is at capacity, then the students will be put on the waiting list.

For students selected based on the above criteria, the SILA Application Committee will meet with the parent(s) and student(s) to discuss the SILA and the student needs to determine if SILA is a good fit for the student.

*Charter Schools are not for everyone. Charter school students need to be able to work independently.

Will students in the Charter School be held to the same academic standards (WKCE testing, etc.) that students in the regular education program are?

Yes – Charter School students will be required to take the WKCE test (as is mandated for all public schools in Wisconsin). SILA will also be conducting MAP testing three times a year (October, January, and March) to assess the student’s progress and help them develop their own Personal Learning Plan.

What is the role of the Shiocton Board of Education in SILA’s creation and existence?

The Board of Education initially gave permission to the team of teachers to pursue the Charter School Application. A contract was created between our authorizer (Shiocton School District) and SILA. The “charter” or contract establishes the school and sets the boundaries under which it operates. The contract is a binding agreement between the public school and the charter school. When the contract or charter is ratified the powers of the Board of Education transfer to the SILA Governance Board.

The governance board will be comprised of people from the community, representatives from higher education, and up to three employees of the Shiocton School District who believe in the vision of the charter school. This is necessary to achieve autonomy, a vital component for charter schools.

Autonomy is defined as full responsibility for policy, budget, staffing, curricula, supervision of the staff and evaluation of the administration and school. The “autonomy” provided to the charter school is intended to allow new, innovative and effective charter schools to emerge within the public school system. In exchange for school-site autonomy, the charter school is legally accountable by contract to the school district for results – i.e. student learning.

Is a charter school for those who do not thrive in a traditional classroom setting? Or can a charter school environment provide even greater potential for those that do well in traditional school?

When using the word “thrive" it includes those students who do not feel challenged enough in the regular classroom. Charter Schools allow those students to explore new areas.

Here is an example: My daughter is talented in art and feels that her current school setting does not allow her to "explore and thrive" in this area. She is a good student but would like more of a challenge and opportunity to explore topics in a different way. The charter school environment would allow her to this.